Gynaecology

[Mr Mark Whiteley]

Hi Becki,

You do not have to wait for veins become visible before seeing a doctor. 50% of people who suffer from vein problems never see a vein on the surface at all. This is one of the reasons why people will get leg ulcers are often told they are curable - they do have varicose veins but just not visible on the surface. They can only be seen by using a duplex ultrasound scan.

You should not trust a doctor or nurse who tells you anything definitive about whether you have varicose veins or not if they do not have a duplex ultrasound scan report. You cannot see where the veins come from in the majority of cases without this test.

Therefore if you have any symptoms at all, you need to have a specialist venous duplex ultrasound scan to find out exactly where your veins are coming from.

With good wishes,
Mark Whiteley